Over the years, under the baton of Maurizio Aterini and with his trusted team, Gold Note has repeatedly proven that it can deliver performance on many levels, offering a wide range of products accessible to a broad audience.

For many high-end companies, the main goal and focus these days is to produce or sell products at extremely high price points—often without any real essence or heritage. Gold Note’s dedication stands in stark contrast: genuinely Italian in every sense, going against the current trend by creating products that are always in tune with the music, without compromising performance, and with a technically profound foundation.

After reviewing many of the products from this Tuscany-based company, it was about time to take a closer look at their cable offerings. Gold Note provided its Firenze Magnifico XLR cables, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables for evaluation.

A spoiler—as expected, these Italian cables follow the same dedication to craftsmanship as the rest of the Gold Note product portfolio. They prove that, with well-designed high-end audio cables, there’s significantly more latitude in system setup and performance.

The common idea that off-the-shelf cables are on par with audiophile-grade ones is far-fetched. Only David managed to take down Goliath with a slingshot. The same phenomenon is not exactly easy within the realm of high-end audio.

The Music

Too often, high-end audio cables take on the role of sonic destructors—blurring the sound and placing the listener in a position that was never intended.

When everything in a high-end audio system is properly set up, the music should come naturally and invitingly. It should draw the listener into a subtle, interactive, almost hypnotic engagement—where not only the musical message but also the emotional pulse flows back and forth.

This is the exact magic one should expect from high-end audio cables: to deliver a powerful musical experience that is emotionally charged and true to the essence of the music and all this reflects the very ethos of Gold Note—allowing the music to arrive with full force, without restraint, and with a clear focus on presenting the music honestly and transparently, just as it is.

Here are some reference albums and tracks that directly highlight the virtues of the Gold Note Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables.

Joshua Judges Ruth – Lyle Lovett

Joshua Judges Ruth by Lyle Lovett, mixed by the legendary George Massenburg, can instantly reveal whether audio cables lack core dimensionality, weight, and tactile energy.

The Gold Note cable loom doesn’t make its presence known with immediate, exaggerated fanfare or a spiked first impression. Instead, the music flows—subconsciously entering the listener’s awareness with a positive, never-fatiguing, and lasting effect.

The Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables allow the real emotional impact of the album to unfold. Each subtle shift in tone and every moment of emotional beauty in Joshua Judges Ruth is revealed with a quiet sense of nobility.

The Gold Note cable trio invites more focused listening while encouraging a relaxed indulgence. Each note played and each word sung carries emotion, delivering something rare—a sense of real-world, real-life energy. And that’s no small achievement for any high-end audio cable.

Firenze Magnifico, Siena Il Magnifico, and Lucca Il Magnifico shift effortlessly between emotional states—moving fluidly from melancholy to joy, capturing both light, playful moments and raw, thunderous passages with equal finesse and impact. Subtle or grand, every nuance is allowed to unfold naturally.

Digging deeper into the rich layers of Joshua Judges Ruth, it’s not easy to reproduce the lullaby-like refinement of “North Dakota.” There’s a deeper, resonant undercurrent at work—an underpinning that few cables can render so effortlessly. With true class, the Gold Note trio delivers exactly what’s needed in an unforced and organic way.

Joshua Judges Ruth’s narrative is incredibly intimate—built, among many intriguing attributes, on the “spaces” between the notes. Lovett’s rough yet vibrant voice, with its excellently controlled push-pull dynamic—knowing exactly when to step forward and when to pull back—is faithfully transmitted by the Firenze Magnifico, Siena Il Magnifico, and Lucca Il Magnifico. This makes them a genuine standout, regardless of price.

Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow

Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow is one of those albums that stops you in your tracks—and within a properly tuned and balanced high-end audio system, it offers a full-bodied experience.

Decades after its release, the record still feels radiant. Rediscovering it through the Gold Note cable trio was a powerful experience—highlighting how effectively they channel the album’s emotional current.

The Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables carry a potent presence without demanding or calling for the listener’s undivided attention. Music effortlessly sinks in!

There is something organic about the Firenze Magnifico, Siena Il Magnifico, and Lucca Il Magnifico unraveling the music flow. Compared to similarly or even higher-priced cables, they differ in their ability to draw music from a deeper place—naturally pulling the listener into a more interactive sonic experience.

This became instantly apparent with the first few strums of “You Know What I Mean,” rendered with an unusual level of harmonic weight and striking clarity between instruments—without isolating each element.
It’s about how they come together—creating something larger than the sum of its parts, something alive.

Blow by Blow thrives on Beck’s ability to shape space and texture, giving the album a unique, cinematic character.

One of the greatest challenges of Blow by Blow is presenting properly weighted notes without artificially sculpting them. The album also demands a cable’s ability to convey depth through back-to-front layering, especially in tracks like “Diamond Dust” and “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” which must remain free of phenomena of mechanical hysteria presented via faux density of tightness or tension.

Exemplarily, the Gold Note cables didn’t induce unwanted sonic bursts or frequency spillover. Instead, they maintained a rare sense of balance—preserving dynamic freedom even as Beck’s playing becomes unexpectedly intense, never falling short on emotional pull.

When everything locks into place, supporting instruments—bass, keys, and percussion—should never overshadow Beck’s guitar, and Gold Note cables easily authorized each note to resonate clearly, no matter how subtle.

Vibrancy, decay, and delay were preserved, and never prematurely cut off. That alone is a rare achievement, regardless of price.

Adding to the aforementioned virtues, the Firenze Magnifico, Siena Il Magnifico, and Lucca Il Magnifico never force the music into imbalance. Whether used as a complete cable loom or individually, they act as a fluid, transparent medium where everything fits together effortlessly, with instruments clearly defined and never overcrowding each other.

With Gold Note’s renowned, finely calibrated, and carefully voiced design, nothing feels out of place.

The music has room to expand without stepping into excess and—most importantly—Blow by Blow sounds like a real recording, resonating with clarity and without imprinting a warmish signature that, while initially pleasant, often leads to listener fatigue.

Instead of adding character, the Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables faithfully transmit the sound—making listening a pure pleasure and something to look forward to returning to.

The Conclusion

It doesn’t matter from which point in the system setup one approaches it—starting with cables at the beginning of building a high-end system, or adding them later—both paths come with their complexities and challenges in achieving overall system synergy.

Anyhow, high-end audio cables matter and their importance should not be diminished in achieving fundamental audio balance.

Gold Note cables offer a potent, vibrant transparency and just the right dose of raw energy transfer while preserving the musical flow. This is no easy feat, as audio cables often lean toward one sonic extreme or another. They may reach peak performance in one aspect but fail to maintain the necessary balance and equilibrium across the system.

Firenze, Lucca, and Siena cables were undoubtedly envisioned as a potent medium to transfer pure musical energy without adding or subtracting anything.

This is evident from album to album, track to track, where Gold Note cable looms consistently preserves the pulse and rhythm of the music. They lock in easily and instantly with the essence of the recording, without sounding artificially warm or introducing any unwanted sonic attributes.

There is something unique about the Gold Note Firenze, Lucca, and Siena cables, particularly in how they expand the spatial sonic architecture, revealing far more articulated horizontal and vertical layering.

Gold Note speakers, interconnect, and power cables do not alter the perception of how instruments and performers are placed within the soundstage. Rather, they provide a rock-solid three-dimensional formation while delivering seamless musical presentation across the full frequency spectrum.

Gold Note XLR, power, and speaker cables are harmonious by nature. They avoid the mechanical sense that even some pricier cables cannot escape. When paired with properly matched components, they can fill a listening space with music in a way that is instantly engaging.

These cables do not filter sound or shift frequencies. They intentionally avoid manipulating harmonic content, while preserving sonic depth, acoustic cues, spatial density, and natural transparency.

All of this reflects a conscious design philosophy that speaks volumes about Gold Note’s intent to honor every aspect of the music proportionally. Every material has been expertly chosen, and every final decision was made with musicality in mind.

Regardless of price point, many cables act as physical limiters or compressors. In contrast, Gold Note cabling faithfully reflect the DNA of the source material. They tap into a deep sense of unity and allow the music’s full potential to shine—preserving harmony, unlocking complexity, and maintaining musical integrity.

Too many high-end audio cables stack notes rather than convey music. As an antipode, the Italian flagship wiring solution unleashes musical momentum without allowing the mind to drift into analytical or clinical realms. Rather than fixating on microscopic detail, the Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables deliver that rare “aha” moment—as if everything connects just right, time seems to disappear, and only the music remains.

Striking the balance between accuracy and vibrancy is always a tough task in the world of high-end audio cables, yet the Gold Note cable trio has proven time and again that when properly implemented, cables can reveal harmonic complexity, retrieve fine details, and present the full frequency spectrum with dynamic control—without sacrificing timbre, tone, or color.

A U.S. Olympic sprint coach once said, “I can’t make you fast… but I can make you faster.” I’d say the same applies to high-end audio cables. They can’t fix a fundamentally flawed system, but they can absolutely elevate a good system to a higher level, and a great system to the excellent.

Yes, Gold Note has a rich heritage and history and I’ve had high expectations—and most importantly, the brand’s top-tier cables deliver on its promises, which is not always the norm in this industry.

The Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power cables do not recast the sonic signature of the music and trained ears will immediately notice that these cables are designed to remain in sync with the music.

Aural perception is influenced by many variables, any of which can interfere with how sound travels through the system, and thanks to their inherent ability, Gold Note cables reveal differences in other components.

The impact of Firenze Magnifico XLR, Siena Il Magnifico speaker cables, and Lucca Il Magnifico power surpassed my expectations. For a healthy and positive change, they reflect, rather than contradict, offered information in Gold Note’s marketing and product presentation.

For all of their positive attributes—and for how well they perform across all genres while preserving the soul of the music—I wholeheartedly grant the Gold Note cable loom the 2025 Mono & Stereo Highly Recommended Award. ❖

Contact

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50025 Montespertoli
Firenze
Italy

email: info@goldnote.it

website: www.goldnote.it